by Josh Bendoski
The high mountains of Utah are home to world-famous trout fishing, and the Provo River offers a premier blue-ribbon trout fishery. Brown and rainbow trout can reach record lengths in the Provo, with a typical fish running eighteen inches or bigger. As the river leaves the Uinta Mountains, it makes its way through two major reservoirs, Jordanelle and Deer Creek, both of which have excellent trout and kokanee salmon fishing, before ultimately emptying into Utah Lake. Overlooked, this shallow muddy lake is home to some fantastic catfish fishing.
Catfish will not win any beauty contests, although they are on the list of most popular species to catch. The catfish in Utah Lake are strong fighters, averaging in size from 24-35 inches with a ton of power in them. Many anglers enjoy the mild taste and large boneless fillets these monsters provide.
There are many ways to catch these giants, but here are a few of my favorites.
I use a medium-heavy spinning rod with a 15-20lb braided line attached to an 8ft fluorocarbon leader. In Utah, we are allowed three hooks on a line. To find out what they are biting, I'll often use three separate baits. Generally, I'll put a nightcrawler on the 3rd hook 2ft below the 2nd hook. On the middle hook, I'll put a 1.5in x .5 strip of raw chicken breast, and lastly, 1.5 ft above that I'll put on some fresh cut white bass. This gives me the ability to find out what they are biting.
White bass is abundant in the Utah Lakes. Often, we will catch a few white bass and cut the flesh into half-inch squares, giving the cats a meal that they are very used to. White bass can be caught with worms, small jigs, spinners, and spoons.
The Utah Lake catfish can also be caught while trolling with jerk baits, which is unusual for the species. But I have caught many summer catfish using this method. The only challenge that I have found is keeping all the white bass off your lure, which makes for a fun-filled day.
Catfish are big, slimy, challenging, and tasty fish. They can grow quite large, which explains why they often find themselves the stars of online videos and images. But all in all, they are found in lakes and ponds all over the world, they make for great table fare, and will always have a special place in my heart.
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Website: www.BendoskiPowerfishing.com